Responsibility Has Its Rewards

Oakland, CA, June 02, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Golden State Warriors fan, Mitchel Mathews, was particularly excited for Game 1 of The Finals 2017 last night. Mr. Mathews was named “Designated Driver for the Season” for the Warriors and attended Game 1 as a grand prize winner of the “Responsibility Has Its Rewards” sweepstakes.

(Left to Right) Jerome Pickett, NBA SVP/Chief Security Officer; Jean Mathews, Guest of Winner; Mitch Mathews, Responsibility Has Its Rewards Sweepstakes Winner; Troy Faciane, Anheuser-Busch Bay Area Director of Sales and Marketing; Alex Ozenberger, TEAM Coalition Senior Event Manager

Veronica Bem was named “Designated Driver for the Season” for the Cleveland Cavaliers and will attend Game 3 of The Finals as the other grand prize winner of the sweepstakes. Both winners were randomly selected among all of the fans who pledged to be Good Sports – designated drivers – at the Warriors and Cavaliers home games during the regular season. Designated drivers pledge to refrain from drinking alcohol and provide their friends and family with a safe ride home.

Throughout the season, the NBA, Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition, Bud Light and NBA teams across the country have worked together to make more fans aware of the Bud Light Good Sport designated driver programs at NBA arenas, promoting responsible consumption and safe transportation among adult sports fans. The program was created by Anheuser-Busch, the world’s largest brewer, in 1986, with more than 850,000 consumers pledging to be a designated driver in 2016 at in-venue Good Sport booths. During the 2016-2017 NBA season, nearly 60,000 adults pledged to be designated drivers at NBA arenas.

“The success of the ‘Responsibility Has Its Rewards’ campaign with the NBA this season is a direct result of the commitment from the league, the teams and all the campaign partners,” said Jill Pepper, Executive Director of TEAM Coalition. “Teamwork is what this campaign is all about. We are demonstrating that when everyone – including the fans – takes responsibility, everyone wins.”

The top five NBA teams for designated drivers at the end of the 2015-2016 season are:

• Dallas Mavericks with 10,164 designated drivers
• Oklahoma City Thunder with 9,547 designated drivers
• Houston Rockets with 7,595 designated drivers
• Charlotte Hornets with 7,483 designated drivers
• Detroit Pistons with 4,449 designated drivers

Jill Pepper, Executive Director, TEAM Coalition, jill@teamcoalition.org, 703-647-7431